[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Go to the website for more and the excellent comments.....

[cripplecreek]

I just dug up some fleet specs on the Deepwater Horizon for another thread.

http://www.deepwater.com/fw/main/Deepwater-Horizon-56C17.html?LayoutID=17

[Paladin2]

"Third, we learned that the blowout preventer is not powerful enough to cut through joints in the drill pipe. We found a Transocean document that I would like to put on the screen. It says: most blind shear rams are “designed to shear effectively only on the body of the drillpipe. Procedures for the use of BSR’s must therefore ensure that there is no tool joint opposite the ram prior to shearing.”

This seemed astounding to us because the threaded joints between the sections of drillpipe make up about 10% of the length of the pipe. If the shear rams cannot cut through the joints, that would mean that this so-called failsafe device would succeed in cutting the drillpipe only 90% of the time."

That could be a problem.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ping.

[cicero2k]

Thanks for the info. Looks like there is blame on both sides, operational and design; but I’d wager the operational side has more of the share.

The nuclear power industry had to work through all these. Not just Three Mile Island, but all kinds of embarrassing situations like control operators sleeping, security lapses, items left inside pipes after repairs etc. They got their act together for the most part, except for the recent leak at the Oyster Creek plant in NJ.

[SueRae]

Great job Earnest. Appreciate the links.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Related thread:

Transocean tries to limit liability for sunken rig

[Captain Beyond]

bflr

[Marine_Uncle]

I’m going to hit the rack. 3:30AM will be upon me shortly for early work schedule. Have a great upcoming day.